town in Colorado
Honey bee forage in Pagosa Springs, Colorado
Estimated forage here is better than about 64% of sites in Colorado. Against other Colorado sites it stands out most in spring (64th percentile) and lowest in fall (49th). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 1.2 mi NE, grown 4 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Pagosa Springs?
- First forage: Mar 16 (dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar))
- Main flow: May 1 to Aug 15, peaking late May (clovers: white, alsike and red, summer-flowering shrubs, dandelion)
- Fall flow: Sep 1 to Sep 15 (spotted and diffuse knapweed, clovers: white, alsike and red, summer-flowering shrubs)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Pagosa Springs, from what grows within flight range (about 3.7 miles) and when it blooms here. Dates are the model's estimate for a typical year; the spring index for this spot falls on May 20.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, summer-flowering shrubs, spring-flowering shrubs; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): summer-flowering shrubs, clovers: white, alsike and red, spotted and diffuse knapweed, dandelion; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): spotted and diffuse knapweed, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, summer-flowering shrubs; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, summer-flowering shrubs, dandelion, spotted and diffuse knapweed; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
Nectar-source estimate (plants weighted by how much bees favor them), not a pollen analysis. Full honey estimate.
Bee crops within flight range
- Alfalfa: about 3 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.2 mi NE, blooms early Jul – early Sep (grown 4 of the last 5 years)
From USDA's crop maps for 2021–2025; fields rotate, so a crop counts by how often it was grown. Listing a field says nothing about its owner.
The land and water around Pagosa Springs
Mostly: Southern Rocky Mountain Ponderosa Pine Woodland; Rocky Mountain Gambel Oak-Mixed Montane Shrubland; Colorado Plateau Pinyon-Juniper Woodland.
Nearest mapped water: pond, lake or river 0.2 mi N; open water 0.2 mi N.
How Pagosa Springs ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 43rd | 42nd | 66th | 72nd |
| Colorado | 64th | 64th | 58th | 49th |
| Southern Rockies | 69th | 94th | 49th | 53rd |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 58% of the land here is scored with national averages for its vegetation type rather than measured plant cover, so the wild-plant part of this estimate is rougher than the crop part.
The national forage map around Pagosa Springs: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Piedra 15 mi · Arboles 28 mi · Bayfield 33 mi · South Fork 34 mi · Southern Ute 35 mi · Ignacio 36 mi
All towns in Colorado · National map · How the scoring works
An estimate from public maps (USDA crop maps 2021–2025 averaged, LANDFIRE vegetation), not a survey of the ground. Maps can't see garden plantings, understory density, other beekeepers' hives, or this year's weather. The point is the Census Bureau's published center of Pagosa Springs (37.2634, -107.0036); a yard a mile or two away can differ, so check your own spot. The FEMA flood map was not checked for this page. Benchmark 2026.5, built 2026-10-19. How this works · All sources.